“Coercion of Justice and Sovereignty” – The United States Campaign to Dismantle the International Criminal Court: Urgent Action by States Parties – Threats to Justice Team Paper

This paper calls on States Parties to take urgent and coordinated action, including through the upcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Week, in response to the campaign the United States (US) announced on 13 July 2026 to “systematically disable” the International Criminal Court (ICC). It builds on the Coalition for the ICC (CICC)’s report Criminalising Accountability: The US Lawfare Against the International Justice System (April 2026), which sets out in full the mechanics of the sanctions regime under Executive Order 14203, its extraterritorial enforcement through the global financial and technology sectors and its human and organisational cost for designated judges, prosecutors, UN mandate holders and Palestinian civil society organisations. That report is cited below rather than reproduced; this paper focuses on the latest escalation of the US campaign and the concrete steps States Parties should now take to defend the Rome Statute system; protect the Court and those who cooperate with it; and resist sanctions and other coercive measures.